Crawford avalanche. (Grayling, Mich.) 1879-19??, 1887-11-03

Our ship was the LuZon, from New
York for Canton, and we were now IN
the China Sea.
The voyage thus far had proved a
singular one, and though the Luzon
was fast sailing ship, her passage had
been long.
First, before striking the northeast
trade wind in the Atlantic, we had en-
countered q succession of southerly
gales. and at the end of these tedious
calm of twenty-five days.
Next, off the Cape dc Verd Islands,
we had lost our fore yard in squall.
The weather was threatening, and we
were under double-reefed topsails and
foresail, when this squall, sort OF
whirlwind, caught us aback, swapping
the yard short off in the sings.
Then off the Cape of Good Hope,
nearly every man on deck was struck
down by a bolt of lightning which en-
veloped the ship in binding glare,
and was accompanied with crash OF
thunder that no language can describe.
Luckily, however, the man at the
wheel was less stunned than most OF
the others, or we would certainly have
gone to destruction.
Finally, off the Isle of France. we
| had met with q hurricane which carried
awav our mizzenmast, fore and main
topmasts, main yard and jibboom, be-
sides making q clean sweep of our bull
warks, staving our two boats, and ia (
ing the galley overheard.
We had rugged jury mlzzenmast,
got up "a new main yard and couple
of spare topmasts, and so kept on oul
way.
The cooks stove had gone over will
his galley, but among the hardware o
our freight we had an invoice OF
dozen stoves, and hence we were abb
to replace the lost one.
AS TO galley, We imprcvised tha
the best way we could.
In the Strait of Sunda we fell i
with the ship Cashmere, from Canto
to New York, which reported hayin
fallen in, off the Island of Borneo, wit
an American or European vessel tha
had Just been captured by Malay p
rates.
I he Malays had set the ship on fire
and upon discovering the Cashmer
they gave chase to her.
The weather, however, getting yer
rough, their proas could not carry sal
and hence she was abe to escape.
II thought sol" exclaimed Bill Dear
one of our fellows, as soon as the Casl
= mere had passed us; I'VE have had a
other sorts of bad luck, ,'and now we a.
to be cut into mince meat by pare
of Malay pirates! This will be in kee'
ing with our Kind of good fortune, so
suppose it must be all right
4 Bill was never disposed 10 look upC
T the bright side OF things. He believ'
: in lucky and uniucky ships, days, al
men.
He had already, as he supposed, hi
ample proof that the Luzon did n
4 come under the lucky head, and,
4 deed, the facts in the case seemed
sustain him in his position.
These things had passed, bringing
+ to the one hundred and seventy-il
I. day of our voyage; and now here
. we're, in q dead calm, in the China S
the Luzon lying
!, ~As idle as painted ship,
Upon painted ocean
I'VE are in for it again!" said /
Dean. "We shall be about two mont
q making the next ten degrees of lf
y tudep
\ "That's encouragingl said Dick Nj
n hew.
ms Il guess there must be n white ste
Id. among the ballastl" remarked Jf
+ Lee.
= Il don't know about that" repl
Tom Welch, "but l know there
black beans in the soup"
They spoke jestingly, for at this
even sailors have come to make light
some of the more absurd superstiti
of former times, when a white stone
the ballast, or black bean in the 81
I1 foretold some dreadful misfortune.
We'll, there's just this about
said lack Lee; Eve sban't be trout
'rk by pirates as long as this weat
lasts.
That's true enough" replied i
} Mayhew; "but who wants to be
q up here to broil to death in the
pirates or no pirates?'
= IL don't know about it's being
/. enough, either" said Bill Dean. W
4 do they care for breeze? The
Il more sweeps than cockroach has
III IL they should get a sight OF III
would put us in fine fix, heading
around the compass as we arel"
/, Meanwhile we were kept at worl
usual, for sailors always have enc
unit to do, aud are just as busy in cain
co., ,ol storm, though not at the same kin
lnds tesk.